Ink container and closure



May 9, 1939. w. G. WATT INK CONTAINER AND CLOSURE Filed May 13, 1937 INVENTOR v W/LL/HM 6'. W477- BY H/5 ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE INK CONTAINER. AND CLOSURE William G. Watt, Laramie, Wyo., assignor of onehalf to S. G. Parker, Laramie, Wyo.

Application May 13, 1937, Serial No. 142,399

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved ink bottle and closure therefor, to facilitate the filling of fountain pens.

The broad object of my invention is to provide an ink bottle from which a fountain pen may be filled without removing the closure from the bottle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper penetrable by the point of a fountain pen, whereby a seal is formed about the point so that the ink bottle may be inverted when the pen is filled.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a penetrable stopper of the character described which functions to wipe and polish the pen point after the pen is filled and the point is being withdrawn from the stopper.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a cap for mounting the stopper on an ink bottle; and to provide means for holding the pen while it is being filled.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of my invention. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this disclosure of species of my invention, as I may adopt variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing an ink container and closure embodying the improvements of my invention; and

Figure 2 is a similar sectional view of the same in inverted position and showing the point of a fountain pen inserted through the stopper in the filling position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the closure.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing a modified form of closure; and

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 2, showing the modified closure in the pen filling position.

There are several things involved in the filling of a fountain pen from an ordinary ink bottle that are undesirable. In the first place, the bottle cap has to be removed. This exposes the ink to dust and dirt, and also introduces the hazard of spilling the contents of the bottle. Furthermore, ink that inevitably collects on the neck of the bottle dries after the cap is replaced and acts as a cement which resists subsequent removal of the cap. Another great disadvantage of filling a pen from an open bottle is that the pen is upright and the filling has to depend upon the sucking action of the ink sack. As a result, pens are capable of being only partially filled; and this condition becomes rapidly worse as the walls of the ink sack are weakened with use.

Still another problem of filling a pen from an open bottle is that it is difficult to gauge the depth '5 to which the pen is immersed into the ink. Thus, air instead of ink is drawn into the pen, if the point is not completely immersed; or ink is collected by and smeared upon the barrel of the pen, if it is dipped in too far. In any case, the point and filling bar of the pen are coated with ink, and this must be wiped off after filling. Often this is not done and the ink dries in place, detracting from the operation and appearance of the pen.

A still further disadvantage of filling a pen from an open bottle is that it is difiicult, if not impossible, to draw all the ink from the bottle. As a result there is usually some ink left in the bottom of a bottle, which is wasted.

With my improved ink container and closure all of these disadvantages are avoided.

In terms of broad inclusion, the ink container and closure embodying my invention comprise a bottle having a stopper penetrable by the point of a fountain pen. The stopper is preferably provided with a slit through which the pen point may be inserted; and the stopper is preferably of an elestic material, such as soft rubber, to hold the slit normally closed and to form a seal around the pen point. When a pen is to be filled the point is pushed through the stopper until the barrel of the pen seats against the top surface of the stopper. With the filling lever open, the bottle and pen are then inverted and the filling lever closed. The bottle is then righted and the pen point withdrawn from the stopper. Means are also preferably provided on the closure for holding the pen in the filling position.

In greater detail, and referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, the preferred structure embodying my invention comprises a container or bottle 2 for holding a supply of ink 3. This bottle may be of any suitable material, such as glass, and may be of any desirable shape. The closure for the bottle comprises a cap having a sleeve portion 4 threaded on the neck of the bottle and having an annular top flange 6 encircling an aperture 1 in the top of the cap. This cap may be of any suitable material, such as metal or moldable composition. While the cap is preferably threaded on the bottle as shown, it is understood that other fastening means may be employed.

Means penetra'ble by the point of a fountain penis provided in the closure. This means preferably comprises a stopper 8 fitted on the cap across the aperture 1 and having a slit 9 therein through which the point l9 and filling bar H of the pen l2 may be inserted. The stopper is preferably of an elastic material, such as soft rubber. A non-porous rubber as shown in Figure 1 may be used, or a porous material such as sponge rubber may be employed. The latter is illustrated in the modification shown in Figure 4. In either case the elastic stopper holds the slit 9 normally closed, but permits a pen point to be inserted and tends to form a seal about the point.

As shown in Figure 1, the stopper 8 is mounted on the cap by an annular groove engaging the top flange 6 of the cap, so that the lower portion i3 of the stopper lies inside the cap between the top flange and the rim of the bottle neck. A gasket ring It may also be provided; but this gasket may be omitted if desired since the portion 53 of the rubber stopper functions as a gasket. Upper surface 16 of the stopper is preferably slightly convex, and an inner surface I! is preferably concave. Also, the lower portion I 3 of the stopper is preferably made somewhat larger than the inside diameter of the cap, so that when the stopper is inserted its lower portions are compressed to accentuate the concavity and force the edges of the slit tightly together to produce a slight puckering at the inner end of the slit. This tends to close the slit immediately upon withdrawing the pen, and also tends to hold the outer end of the slit open slightly to facilitate insertion of the pen point.

The thickness of the stopper at the slit 9 is such that the end of an ordinary point of a fountain pen projects into the bottle when the end l3 of the pen barrel seats against the outer surface of the stopper. This projection is preferably just enough to allow free passage of ink into the pen when the latter is being filled. As shown in Figure 3, the slit 9 may be just a straight slit. If desired however this slit may be curved slightly to the contour of the pen point. The width of the slit is preferably determined by the smaller sized pen points, allowing the elasticity of the stopper to take care of the larger points. The insertion of a point is not difiicult in a stopper of this kind; and may be still further facilitated if desired by applying a non-corrosive lubricant to the inner surfaces of the slit. Preferably the slit is marked by a colored area IQ of rubber surrounding it, so that the slit is easily perceptible.

In the preferred use of my ink container, the pen point is inserted through the stopper while the bottle is upright, and is pushed down until the end of the barrel seats firmly against the top of the stopper. This seating at the top, together with natural tendency of the elastic rubber to close against the surfaces of the pen point Ill and filling bar ll, produces a tight seal. With the filling lever 2| of the pen open, both the bottle and pen are inverted to the position shown in Figure 2. The lever 2| is then closed to draw ink into the pen. After filling, the bottle is uprighted and the pen point withdrawn from the stopper.

There are several features to be noted in this filling operation. In the first place, the closure is not removed. Secondly, the filling is assisted by gravity flow instead of having to suck the ink up. Thirdly, it is possible to use all the ink in the bottle, without Waste; this drawing of the last drop of ink from the bottle being further facilitated by the concave inner surface of the stopper. Furthermore, my ink container eliminates the problem of dipping the pen into the ink too far, or not far enough. Also, the stopper acts as an automatic Wiper when the pen point is Withdrawn.

In my improved ink container means are also preferably provided for holding the pen in position relative to the bottle when both are inverted. For this purpose a pair of grip arms 22 are mounted on the cap and project upwardly alongside the pen. These grips may be stamped from metal, molded from composition, shaped from wire, or formed of any other suitable material having a certain measure of resilience and capable of securely gripping the pen. If the grips are of metal and the cap of composition, as shown in Figure 1, the grips may be fastened to the cap by a band 23. Grips 22 are preferably spaced so that they resiliently engage the pen, and are preferably curved at their upper ends to embrace the sides of the pen. An operator may then grasp the grips between two fingers and invert the bottle and pen with ease and safety, without separately holding the pen.

Figure 4 shows a modified structure in which the stopper 26 does not extend under the cap flange, but is cemented to it by a layer 21 of adhesive. In this view the stopper is shown of sponge rubber, having the pores sealed by a surface film 28. This sealing of the pores preferably extends over all the surfaces of the stopper, including the surfaces inside the slit. The film 28 may be formed by fusing the surface portions of the rubber, or a separate coating of rubber or other suitable material may be applied. One method of sealing the pores on the inner surfaces of the slit would be to cut the stopper into two pieces, and, after treating the severed surfaces, cementing the two halves together.

A different form of holding means is also shown in this modified construction. Here the grip arms 29 are pivotally mounted on the cap, and fold down alongside the bottle when not in use; the latter being preferably formed with a sloping neck to permit the grips to fold in close. The grips are shaped to be conveniently engaged between the fingers, and are curved to provide elbow portions 3|. In the operative position, as shown in Figure 5, the grips engage the pen adjacent their elbow portions, and when the grips are pressed together they not only firmly hold the pen but also press it against the stopper by reason of the pivotal action of the grips. Soft rubber pads 32 are also preferably provided adjacent the elbow portions of the grips, to improve the gripping action, and. for pressing the pen firmly down against the stopper.

In either construction the grips may be grasped between the fore and middle fingers, leaving the thumb free to push the pen firmly against the stopper. The bottle is securely held between the fingers when the thumb is pressed against the end of the pen, by reason of the out curved shape of the grips. This thumb pressure on the end of the pen would be most desirable in the structure shown in Figure 1, since the pivoted arms of Figure 3 automatically force the pen against the stopper. Furthermore, the thumb is free to perate the filling lever, such as a side lever as shown in the drawing, or a plunger type filling element such as provided in some pens.

I claim:

1. A closure for an ink bottle comprising a stopper having a slit therein through which the point of a fountain pen may be inserted, said Gil stopper being elastic and of such thickness that the slit surfaces form a sealing contact with the pen point over the major portion of its length, and means for compressing the lower portions of the stopper to squeeze the lower edges of the slit together and to slightly open the upper edges of the slit.

2. A closure for an ink bottle comprising a stopper, a cap for holding the stopper on the bottle and having a flange embracing the lower portions of the stopper, said stopper being elastic and having a slit therein through which the point of a fountain pen may be inserted, the lower surface of the stopper within the cap flange being concave and the upper surface providing a substantially flat abutment against which the lower rim of the pen barrel may seat, whereby the stopper is compressed into the narrower limits defined by the cap flange upon pressure of said rim of the pen barrel against the stopper to force the slit surfaces of the stopper into sealing engagement with the pen point.

WILLIAM G. WATT. 

